title: Titanium distribution in swimming pool water is dominated by dissolved species.
abstract: The increased use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) in consumer products such as sunscreen has raised concerns about their possible risk to human and environmental health. In this work, we report the occurrence, size fractionation and behavior of titanium (Ti) in a children's swimming pool. Size-fractionated samples were analyzed for Ti using ICP-MS. Total titanium concentrations ([Ti]) in the pool water ranged between 21 μg/L and 60 μg/L and increased throughout the 101-day sampling period while [Ti] in tap water remained relatively constant. The majority of [Ti] was found in the dissolved phase (<1 kDa), with only a minor fraction of total [Ti] being considered either particulate or microparticulate. Simple models suggest that evaporation may account for the observed variation in [Ti], while sunscreen may be a relevant source of particulate and microparticule Ti. Compared to diet, incidental ingestion of nano-Ti from swimming pool water is minimal.
authors.affiliation: Materials Measurement Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 6371, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA. dave.holbrook@nist.gov
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: David Holbrook
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Motabar
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Quiñones
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vanderford
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D013551:Swimming Pools; D014025:Titanium / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Dissolved; ICP-MS; Size fraction; Swimming pool; Titanium